The present invention relates to a sensing and communication system that monitors railcar wheel seismic noise levels in real time while moving along a train rail track.
Rail is an ever expanding and increasingly important method of transporting goods and people. With the ever expanding urban areas, existing railways often carry hazardous materials very close to urban areas. Train derailments, the added danger of hazardous material contaminants, and the risk of explosions can be very costly to society and fragile ecosystems, and may cause irreversible damage to the environment and aquatic life. Faulty railcar wheel carriages also greatly contribute to noise pollution in densely populated urban areas.
Existing methods of inspecting railcars which are stationary, make it very difficult and time consuming to detect railcar axle and wheel deformations that can only be effectively detected if the railcar is moving. Installing vibration sensors on the railcar itself is costly and requires regular maintenance and calibration.
The invention is directed to cost effectively and with relative ease track the state of railcars. It provides a low cost inspection solution to scan railcars for compliance in order to mitigate the risk of environmental damage caused by derailments, and to lower train noise levels.
Since the invention works on the principle of seismic ground wave phase analysis, the sensors do not have to be installed on the rail track but can be installed within a convenient distance parallel to the track. The system can be installed as a permanent installation or through mobile deployable stations.
These sensor stations can then be deployed strategically across major rail arteries.